Mu Yunchen carefully lifted his own glass, the movement slow and measured but steady. "To us," he echoed, his eyes holding hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. "To the woman who loved me enough to nearly destroy herself when she thought I was lost. To the wife who ran away from a hospital at dawn to marry me in a chapel with strangers as witnesses. To my Zhou Yuxi, who is fierce and loyal and absolutely mine."
They touched glasses with a delicate clink of crystal, the sound clear and pure in the quiet morning air, then sipped the sparkling cider while maintaining eye contact. It was sweet and refreshing, cold enough to be invigorating, and somehow the perfect accompaniment to this stolen moment of peace.
After they had eaten enough to satisfy their immediate hunger, Zhou Yuxi was surprised to discover just how hungry she actually was once she started eating, Mu Yunchen carefully shifted his position and gestured for her to come closer.
